It appears to be the mismatch of the millennium.
OK -- who are we kiddin'? -- the Class 5A football championship is precisely that.According to most, it's a game that should be decided even before the fat lady sings the national anthem at Rice-Eccles Stadium Friday afternoon. It should be so lopsided, extra lights might need to be added to one side of the scoreboard. It should be over so fast, the bus drivers might consider staying in their vehicles with the ignition on.
Of course, the two involved coaches of the finals (3:35 p.m. kickoff Friday) couldn't care less what the Skyline-Taylorsville title matchup should be.
Roger DuPaix, the mastermind behind the wildly successful Skyline dynasty, and Brad Molen, the second-year mentor of the overachieving Warriors, are only talking about what could be.
For instance, check out this pregame spin. DuPaix wonders out loud how his offense -- despite its potent high-scoring abilities -- is going to manage even one point against the Warriors. His prime example is comparing Taylorsville's success against Bingham, a 3-0 regular-season win, to his own team's 56-37 semifinal victory over the Miners. It concerns DuPaix that his defense allowed Bingham 37 more points than the Warriors did.
"They've got arguably one of the best, if not the best, defenses in the state. It will be real tough to score against them," said DuPaix, whose Eagles average 41 points a game this year. "They beat Bingham 3-0 and we didn't exactly shut out Bingham. They also shut out Alta."
And Molen's take?
Though his 9-3 team is only one year removed from a 2-8 record, his baseball-oriented school had never won a pigskin playoff game before this season, powerhouse Skyline is on the verge of winning its fifth straight championship and the Eagles have more talent than ever, Molen believes T-ville can somehow pull off the biggest upset in Utah high school football history. His optimistic players, who have played extremely well since barely getting by Timpanogos in the first round, are convinced, too.
"We're the only ones in the world that think we have a chance," Molen said with a smile. "I think most of the state wants us to win but doesn't think we can."
Molen says most people at Taylorsville High even share that same attitude. He chuckles about how a special party -- with cake and the works -- was thrown for the Warriors following their thrilling 27-20 overtime win over Hunter in the 5A semifinals last Friday.
"They didn't say it, but I'm sure they thought in their minds they had to do it (the celebration) then," Molen said. "Everybody in the state thinks our big game was last week, and that the game's already over this week. That's just encouraging us more to prove everyone wrong."
But the naysayers have their reasons for doubting T-ville's chances. Skyline's squad is an awesome collection of fast, talented athletes who have combined to win 20 straight games overall -- one away from a school record -- and a state-best 19 in a row in the playoffs.
The Eagles (12-0) boast the most exciting player in the state -- the dazzling Bo Nagahi, who has five special-teams touchdowns this fall. They also have one of the top quarterbacks, the athletic Brandon Van Leeuwen, and two tough running backs in Brad Jenson and Rob Sirstins (though he may miss Friday's game with an injured hip). Throw in monster linemen Steve Dahl, Jonny Matich and Levi Negley along with linebacker Troy Maxfield, and it's no wonder this is among the most feared teams ever to hit the gridiron in the Beehive State's 107 years of prep football.
"They are one of the best teams in the nation," said Molen, who's especially impressed with the Eagles' speed. "They have an awfully good team and are very well-balanced.
"But (my players) are not intimidated. They think they can win. They're winners. They believe in themselves."
The Warriors' hopes were dimmed even more last week when defensive star Paul Buck injured his knee in the final minutes of the Hunter game. He won't play this week, but Austin Osegura, Hyrum McDonald, Andy Swanson, Ryan Filipe, Matt Barclay, Nick Sybrowsky and Adam Beckstrom are among the 20 or so experienced Warriors who have already exceeded expectations. If for only one year, they've helped bring the program up to par with their baseball level.
"Taylorsville deserves to be there," DuPaix said of the Warriors who are in their first-ever title game. "They have a lot of confidence and a lot of momentum, and their defense is the real deal."
As for the Eagles, they are where everyone expected they would be clear back in 1998. A good portion of this year's seniors played major roles in Skyline's march to a fourth consecutive championship last fall.
"It's fantastic that we can be here and have a chance to win a championship again," said DuPaix, whose teams have won six in the '90s. "We're thrilled for the kids who had a lot of pressure on them all year. It's tough for the kids. They don't want to be the team that breaks that tradition."
The official kickoff time of the Class 5A football championship has been changed yet again. Skyline and Taylorsville will now begin their title tilt Friday at 3:35 p.m. at the University of Utah's Rice-Eccles Stadium. The schools agreed to move the time up a half-hour so the game will be over before it gets too cold and to facilitate Skyline's school musical production that night. The 4A championship game between Bountiful and Weber kicks off at 12:35 p.m.